Just Another Day
by Phoebsfan
Summary: A new year brings new hope for the citizens of sleepy Seattle...M/L


Just Another Day, Just a New Tomorrow

Disclaimer: Nope not mine. Although I thought for Christmas someone *cough* Cameron might give me a nice Christmas present but nope.

Summery: a new year rings in new hope.  

Rating: PG for language

Archive: If you want to. You gotta contact me. phoebs_fan2001@yahoo.com

AN: Hello it's me again.  I thought I'd give you a break from the angst.  Does anyone else think that I'm getting pathetic...oh yeah and go see Lord of The Rings.  Hello my fellow Eye Spies.  Review for me. I live off of those things.   Oh yeah and this story shifts back and forth from Logan to Max's POV.  Enjoy.

It would be midnight soon.  Another year in a broken world rung in alone.  It wasn't really that big of a deal, just another day really. New York had already rung in the new year so had St. Paul and I was still sitting here, nothing had happened. It wasn't like tomorrow night would be any different then tonight.  Just another twenty-four hours gone by, that's all. All the rationalizations in the world however, were not going to make me feel any better about sitting in my enormously empty penthouse alone on a night that should be spent with people.

So Max wasn't here with me.  I hadn't expected her to be.  I mean it wasn't like I'd asked her to cancel all her plans to sit at home with me for a quiet evening of champagne, conversation, and chess, while we quietly counted down till the new year.  If I would have asked, then maybe I could have the express right to being miserable because she wasn't here.  But I didn't ask, so I figured I should just suck it up and live with it.

I'd contemplated sending her a letter or something, telling her how much she meant to me, explaining how by Valentine's Day I planned to have found us a cure, telling her that we wouldn't have to spend another holiday alone.  But since I wasn't all too sure about anything anymore, I didn't think it would be fair to get her hopes up like that.  Not to mention the fact that I was still uncertain of whether or not she'd run after reading it.

So as the clock ticked on and I kept my gaze turned on Seattle, I wondered if next year she'd be sitting here with me.

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"Nothing?" Original Cindy questioned me again.  I only shook my head no and downed another pint.  I was getting good at that lately.  She was of course questioning me about what Logan had planned for tonight.  Laughing in silence at her face I nodded again.  Contemplating my next pint I wondered if I should go with something stronger, sure why not.  If I wanted to get totally wasted tonight then I'd better try something else cause getting an x-5 drunk isn't an easy task.  

"You aiight boo?" Cindy questioned.  Sure why shouldn't I be all right.  Because the man I loved hadn't asked me to stay with him tonight, nah it wasn't like we didn't spend enough time together anyway.  Or maybe because he'd played this game around Christmas too, nah he was just afraid of the unavoidable mistletoe moment, who could blame him.

"Fine." I clipped gulping down my new beverage of choice.  I didn't know what it was but I liked it.  Smiling at Cindy to prove my point I got up and headed over to the pool table taking my new bottle of friendship with me.  Taking a few more chugs, I whooped Sketch and won myself a good fifty which I planned on blowing all tonight on whatever I could get to make me the drunk genetically enhanced puking machine I planned on being in the morning.

Walking over to the bar I planned on fulfilling my plans, when I found myself on my rear.  Must have missed that last step.  Oh well.  Brushing myself off, a hand reached down to help me to my slightly intoxicated feet.  Rafer.  Oh how lovely.

"You should take that a bit slower Max, especially if you plan on being conscious at midnight." he offered.  Why did everyone have to be so concerned about my life?  It was starting to piss me off royally.

"I know what I can handle thanks." I jerked my arm out of his grasp and inadvertently hit someone in the head.  Sorry, I hoped I hadn't broken the poor guys nose in the process.

Leaving Rafer's side I headed over to Neil, my new best friend, to fulfill my drinking needs.

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Midnight, see Cale it wasn't that bad.  Just like eleven forty-nine, and ten-thirty, and it would be the same as one too.  Yup, it was the new year.  But I really didn't feel like celebrating.  

Well Eyes Only never sleeps right, wheeling over to my computer I decided to put some effort into the cases that had been taking a backseat lately.

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"I'm fine." I justified tipping a little as the world turned again.  Someone really had to stop spinning the room so much.

"Original Cindy knows when she see someone with their drink on.  You gonna be puking your guts out with Sketchy in no time flat."  O.C. helped me to my bike, which oddly enough a smug Rafer was sitting on.  I was going to have to kick his a** for that.  But as I swung at him and instead met the pavement, I decided that it would have to wait.

"Where to?" he asked as Cindy helped me on the back.  I think I gave him Logan's address.

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"Max?" I questioned as she burst into my apartment stumbling and bumping into everything in sight.

"Mind if I crash here tonight?" she asked flopping on the couch closing her eyes as I wheeled up to her.   Rafer walked in then and closed the door, filling me in on Max's condition.  I wondered if this was the first time Max had gotten drunk, then I wondered how much alcohol it had taken.

Smiling at Max's incoherent mumbling I nodded that it was okay for Rafer to leave and smart person that he is left without comment.

"Max?" I questioned unable to hide the amusement from my voice.  I shouldn't find this funny but in a perverse way I do.  So I had been sitting at home moping and she'd gone out and gotten herself drunk.  Just like us,  Max always was the one who actually took action.  I guess I never figured she'd head out and get herself wasted.

She only groaned in answer to my question keeping her eyes closed, so I thought I'd try again.

"Do you know where you are?"

"Logan stop yelling. I'm right here.  And could you please get the room to stop spinning?" she asked briefly opening her eyes then slamming them shut again.  Smiling I reached to take her hand but remembered I couldn't and pulled back, folding my arms across my chest instead.

"Where is here?" I whispered trying to make as little noise as possible.

"Don't know but its bright." she cringed again.

"How much did you drink anyway?"

"Polka dots."

"What?"

"Pink and purple, and hey Logan, I can fly." she was definitely not with me anymore. 

"I'm sure you can Max, go to sleep." I comforted as I started to wheel away.  Her eyes opened and her arm shot out, hand coming down directly on my bare forearm.  Flesh against flesh.  Our eyes locked, s*** did she realize what she'd just done.  No this had to be a dream; I must have fallen asleep at the keyboard or something. Because she couldn't be sitting here touching me, I'd be having some sort of reaction to it, besides the warm glow that radiated from her perfect palm up my arm.

"Max?" I questioned hesitantly as her eyes closed.

"I can fly, I really can.  I'll show you when the room stops spinning." she protested.  I was past the point of caring whether or not she thought she could fly because her hand had been resting on my forearm for a total of one minute and thirty-four seconds and I still wasn't reacting.

Slowly her hand fell from my arm and I looked at my watch again.  Five minutes and no reaction.  This had to be good right.  

"Logan," she mumbled. "I love you. Pink and purple oh and blue and..." her voice drifted off.  

"I love you too Max."  She wouldn't remember it in the morning but if she had been coherent she wouldn't have admitted it anyway.  

Eight minutes.

I dared to kiss her brow.  It felt like a little piece of heaven had landed in my lap and suddenly I couldn't get enough of it.  Besides this was all one big dream right.  Taking her hand in mine I pressed it to my lips.  Any moment the phone would ring and I'd wake up.

Still if this was a dream why could I feel her silky skin and taste it's salty texture.

Ten minutes.  

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When I opened my eyes again I instantly regretted it, and instead slammed them shut again.  So this is what it felt like to have a hangover.  What was I thinking?  This is definitely not something I will be repeating in the future.  Max, you are an idiot.

Groaning I rolled over and quickly found myself on the floor.  What the?  Deciding that opening my eyes would now be a must; I did so and found myself on the floor in front of Logan's couch.  How did I get here?

Logan came hurrying into the room at that moment asking if I was okay.  Sure just move your feet so that I don't hurl on them.

"How did I get here?" I asked instead.

"Rafer brought you.  You were pretty out of it.," he offered smirking.  I'd gladly puke on him right now just so that he'd wipe that smirk off his face.  So what, I went out and got drunk.  Was it some crime or something?  My nose caught hold of breakfast and my stomach turned.  For the first time in my life I did not want to eat one of Logan's masterpieces.

Jumping to my feet a little to quickly I almost found myself back on the floor.  

Logan perfect gentleman that he is laughed at me.  I would have had some smart remark for him if I wasn't preoccupied with getting to the bathroom where I could safely rid my stomach of its contents.  

____________________________________________________________________________

Watching Max run out of my living room I wondered once more if last night was only a dream.  I'd woken up in front of my keyboard sure enough but then Max was still on my couch.  And she obviously had a hangover, so parts of last night must have really happened.

But did that mean that I had really held her hand, kissed her forehead, and lived to tell about it?  The thought still sent little spears of joy through me.  And I couldn't help but smile.  Max probably pegged me as a huge jerk for not being more sympathetic to her situation but right now the thought that we could touch and not kill me was just too overwhelming to hide behind anything but a smile.

"Max? You okay?" I asked as I walked to the bathroom door to see for myself.

"Peachy." she offered sarcastically from her seat in front of my toilet.  Smiling I walked over to her and sat down inches away.

"We need to talk." I said softly intending on ending our little talk with a kiss on her cheek. 

But Max surprised me but standing up and walking over to the sink to rinse her mouth, and retorting.

"I don't think it's any of your business.  I decided to get wasted like the other half of Seattle which was my decision not yours or anyone else's.  So why don't you get off my case about it!"

"That isn't what I wanted to talk about.  Believe it or not I'm glad you went and got wasted."

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Oh yeah he was just pouring on the charm now.  I'm glad you got wasted.  Suppose he was grateful I was tossing chunks in his toilet too.  

"Something happened last night Max," he continued.  I however didn't want to listen to him or try to decipher what he was trying to say.  All I wanted to do was go home and crawl back into my own bed and sleep this off.

"Forget it Logan. I'm going home."  Turning from the sink I was surprised to find that he had moved to block the door.  Damn it.  "Move." I ordered he only shook his head.

"Fine. Talk." I conceded.  "What did you want to talk about?"

"This." he answered and stroked my cheek sending fire down my spine.  How long had it been since he'd done that?  Why hadn't...  The virus.  Oh shit.  Pulling back quickly I shot him a death glare.  What did he think he was doing?  Why had he done that?  I couldn't lose him; oh he's such and idiot.

"Why?! You are such and idiot Logan!  Damn it! I hate you!  Why?" I couldn't fight the tears that were threatening.

"It's ok Max." he tried to brush a strand of hair out of my face but I backed up again avoiding any further contact.  

_______________________________________________________________________________

I hadn't meant to make her cry.  Good one Cale. When she backed away again I knew that I had to explain myself.  Changing tactics I asked her an important question.

"Do you trust me Max?"

She only nodded but as I advanced again she backed herself into the corner.  "Trust me." I tried again.

"I don't want to kill you Logan.  I can't loose you."  Tears were freely flowing now.  She'd never let me see her like this.  I'd never seen her so open and it amazed me.  I could practically taste her fear and her need.  

_______________________________________________________________________________

I wanted to touch him again.  I wanted him to touch me again.  Of course I trusted him.  But what he was doing was suicide.  I loved him but not enough to let him kill himself over it. I didn't care what he thought. I knew better.  But as he pleaded with me to trust him I thought that maybe he knew something I didn't.  

Logan advanced once more whispering words of comfort.  I didn't move this time.

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Flesh met flesh once more.  And nothing happened.  I didn't react.  How far could this go?

_______________________________________________________________________________

His fingers danced across my face and he didn't have a reaction.  How?  His eyes locked with mine and I couldn't help but answer his smile with one of my own.  Heaven.

_____________________________________________________________________________

I didn't care if she'd just been puking.  I really wouldn't have cared what was in her mouth previously, because right now I needed to be in it.  Closing the distance between the two of us more, I felt my heart racing.

_____________________________________________________________________________

He was going to kiss me!  This couldn't be real.  Oh shit.  My stomach started to turn again.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Suddenly I was shoved roughly aside.  What the?  Looking down at my shirt and its new decorations I couldn't help but laugh.  Would something always stand in the way?

Helping her over to the toilet, I sank down next to her in a fit of laughter.

"Sorry." she muttered when she was done.

"Not the reaction I was looking for but we can't have everything right." I laughed sending her into a fit of giggles.  So Max giggles, it was incredibly sweet.  I'd have to work on getting her to giggle more often.

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He was happy.  Smiling and laughing.  I couldn't help but join him.  I think I loved him even more in that moment.  Pure and unsullied by anything, I would have done anything to stay in that moment with him for all time.  But right now I wanted him to hold me.  

"Take your shirt off." I ordered.

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I looked at her in shock.  

"It smells." she explained.  Oh.  Complying with her desire I removed the now filthy object as she scooted into my arms.  I'd dreamed of this so many times.  

I think I liked this new year already.

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey Logan?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad I went and got wasted but do me a favor k?"

"Sure."

"Don't ever let me do it again."


End file.
